Dr. Winthrop has been a leader in the Santa Barbara medical community for over twenty years,
providing excellent ophthalmology care to those seeking relief from a variety of conditions. His training as
an eye specialist is among the finest in the country and the Santa Barbara community consistently names
him "Best Ophthalmologist” “News-Press and Independent reader polls.” In fact, his reputation is world-wide,
bringing patients from abroad to Santa Barbara to see him. As a cornea specialist, Dr Winthrop performs
delicate cornea transplant surgery and cares for especially difficult anterior segment and corneal
problems.
Education
Dr. Winthrop attended college at UCLA and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He then earned his medical
degree at USC, where he graduated first in his medical school class, and where
he was voted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society in his third year
of school. After his ophthalmology residency at USC, Dr. Winthrop trained as a
cornea fellow at the prestigious Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard
University. During his cornea fellowship, he was the recipient of the Heed
Foundation Fellowship, a top distinction among ophthalmologists pursuing
advanced fellowship training. Dr. Winthrop has been the co-author of several
articles in assorted medical journals.
Certifications and Associations
Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, Dr. Winthrop is a Fellow of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Society of
Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery. He is
also a member of the California Association of Ophthalmology, the California Medical Association, and
the Santa Barbara Ophthalmology Society.
Locally, he has served the medical staff of St. Francis Hospital as Secretary and Vice Chief of Staff. He is
past President of the Santa Barbara Ophthalmology Society. He has served as the Medical Director of the
Lions Eye Bank at St. Francis Hospital and as Chairman of the Cottage Eye Center.
Teaching
He has taught Cornea care to the eye residents at Jules Stein Eye Institute (UCLA) where he has been
an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology for the past 15 years.
Pioneer in Vision Correction
In 1991, Dr. Winthrop began working with Summit Technology of Boston, the developers of the first
excimer laser for vision correction, who named him a "visionary doctor.” When the FDA granted approval
in late 1995, Dr. Winthrop had already arranged for the first laser to be available to the Santa Barbara
community at Cottage Eye and Laser Institute.